Automatically-extending remote door lock bolts

ABSTRACT

A remote lock assembly includes a housing and a bolt adapted for sliding linear movement within the housing between an extended position and a retracted position. A latch disposed within the housing is adapted to releasably hold the bolt in the retracted position. A trigger disengages the latch from the bolt when contacting the latch. The trigger is biased into a position extending out from the housing. A spring biases the bolt into the extended position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/723,199, filed Nov. 6, 2012, entitled “Automatically-Extending Remote Door Lock Bolts,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

INTRODUCTION

Bowed doors are difficult to open, close, operate, and may leak air and water. All door panels, especially taller door panels, are subject to forces that cause them to bow. Wood doors bow primarily due to moisture while insulated steel and fiberglass doors bow due to thermal stress. Other reasons that cause door panels to bow include poor initial installation and weatherstripping that pushes the door panel out of plane. Often, multipoint locks (that is, locks having a plurality of locking points at spaced locations on a door) are used to straighten such doors. Existing multipoint locks use retracting latches or bolts for locking. These latches or bolts are located in the edge of the door and extend horizontally into the door jamb or vertically into the head and or sill of the door. Locks utilizing locking elements that extend into keepers on two or more planes (i.e., into a jamb, a sill, and/or a header) are more effective at straightening and securing a door than locks that extend into a single keeper on a single plane. To lock currently available multipoint locks on the market with corner bolts or latches, these elements need to be extended manually every time the door is closed. This is often accomplished by lifting an associated handle on a central lock mechanism. An operator who forgets such a step, however, leaves the security of the door compromised.

SUMMARY

The lock systems depicted herein automatically lock a door using corner-mounted bolts. The bolt is released by a mechanical latch trigger as the door is closing (more specifically, as the trigger contacts the jamb). The bolts extend out of the top and bottom corners of the door panel, proximate a locking edge of the door. The bolts secure the head and sill corners of the door. In one embodiment, a mortise lock with interior and exterior handles operates the bolts. The drivebar connected to the mortise lock mechanism retracts the bolt and the mortise latch as the door is unlocked and opened. Unlocking and pulling the door open retracts the automatic bolts and resets the release mechanism of the trigger latches.

In one aspect, the technology relates to a lock including: a central lock assembly including: a central lock assembly housing; a lock mechanism located within the central lock assembly housing; and a drivebar extending from the central lock assembly housing and actuated by the lock mechanism, wherein the lock mechanism is adapted to move the drivebar from a first position to a second position; and a first remote lock assembly including: a remote lock assembly housing; a bolt adapted for sliding linear movement within the remote lock assembly housing, wherein the drivebar is connected to the bolt, and wherein a movement of the drivebar from a first position to a second position slides the bolt from the extended position to the retracted position; a latch adapted to engage at least one of the drivebar and the bolt, when the drivebar is in the second position and the bolt is in the retracted position; and a trigger adapted to disengage the latch from at least one of the drivebar and the bolt, wherein the trigger is biased into a position extending out from the remote lock assembly housing.

In another aspect, the technology is related to a remote lock assembly including: a housing; a bolt adapted for sliding linear movement within the housing, between an extended position and a retracted position; a latch disposed within the housing and adapted to releasably hold the bolt in the retracted position; a trigger adapted to disengage the latch from the bolt, wherein the trigger is biased into a position extending out from the housing; and a spring for biasing the bolt into the extended position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

There are shown in the drawings, embodiments which are presently preferred, it being understood, however, that the technology is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a central lock assembly of a multi-point lock.

FIG. 1B is a side sectional view of the central lock assembly of a multi-point lock.

FIGS. 2A and 2B depict side and front sectional views, respectively, of a remote lock assembly of a multi-point lock in an unlocked position.

FIG. 2C depicts a side sectional view of the remote lock assembly of FIG. 2A, with the housing removed.

FIGS. 3A and 3B depict side and front sectional views, respectively, of the remote lock assembly of FIGS. 2A and 2B, in a locked position.

FIG. 4 depicts an enlarged view of a latch mechanism.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a door having a multi-point lock.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The remote lock mechanisms described herein automatically lock a door when it is closed rather than requiring the door to be manually locked after the door is closed. Remote lock housings include a triggering latch that automatically releases a vertical bolt into the head or sill as the door is being closed. These automatic bolts hold the door in a flat plane when it is closed, thereby reducing or preventing door panel bow and warp. Additionally, security of the door is increased. Each bolt is fully engaged in the door frame head or sill every time the door is closed. Bolts into the head and sill offer more strength than latches into the jamb. Bolts in the head and sill corners of the door keep the door panel flatter than latches in the edge of the door. These bolts may be flush with the top or bottom edge of the door when the door is open and extend one inch or more out of the door when the door is closed. Bolts extended into the door frame head and sill are capable of resisting higher forced entry loads, windload, and resist the constant force of the weatherstripping than latches in the edge of the door panel. Corner bolts keep the door panel flatter than latches in the edge of the door. The locks described herein use tapered bolts to penetrate corresponding tapered door panel frame strikes, thus forcing the door into a flat plane and increasing the robustness of the locked door. Use of such remote locks at both a top and bottom of the door is contemplated but not required.

FIG. 1A depicts a perspective view of a central lock assembly of a multi-point lock 100 having a plurality of locking elements. The multi-point lock 100 includes a face bar or face plate 102, to which is secured a deadbolt housing 200 and a latch housing 300. The housings 200, 300 are attached to the face plate 102 with one or more screws, bolts, or other fasteners 104. The face plate 102 covers an opening or slot formed in the locking face of a door, into which the various components of the multi-point lock 100 are installed. One or more drivebars 302 are actuated by a lock or latch mechanism located in the latch housing 300, so as to move between a first position and a second position. Additionally, a latch 304 retractably projects from the latch housing 300. The drivebars 302 and latch 304 may be actuated by one or more handles, thumbturns, or other devices located proximate the latch housing 300. In one embodiment, for example, a handle H is operably connected to an actuator 306 within the latch housing 300. The actuator 306 forms a part of the lock or latch mechanism that actuates the drivebars 302. In a desirable commercial embodiment, rotation of the handle H to retract the drivebars 302 would also retract the latch 304, which is typically biased into a projecting position.

Another locking element (in the depicted embodiment, a deadbolt) 202 is actuated by a deadbolt assembly in the deadbolt housing 200, so as to move between extended and retracted positions. The deadbolt 202 may be actuated by a handle, thumbturn, or other device located proximate the deadbolt housing 200. In one embodiment, for example, a thumbturn T operably connected to an actuator 204 that drives the remaining elements of the deadbolt assembly to actuate the deadbolt 202. In a commercial embodiment of the multi-point lock 100, a thumbturn T actuates the deadbolt 202 and a handle H actuates the shoot bolts 302 and latch 304. In that regard, once installed, the multi-point lock 100 maintains the outward visual appearance of a typical entry door lock (with regard to location and spacing of the thumbturn T and handle H).

The drivebars 302 are connected to a remote lock mechanism, such as the type described further herein, so as to actuate locking elements located therein. Additionally, the faceplate 102 may be connected to a housing of the remote lock mechanism. In that case, a complete multi-point door lock may include a latch mechanism and a deadbolt mechanism, as well as one or more remote lock mechanisms, all connected by a faceplate. In general, either or both of the deadbolt housing 200 and the latch housing 300 may be referred to a central lock assembly, since such elements are typically installed centrally within a door. The remote locks described herein are typically located at upper and lower portions of the door. Single-housing central lock assemblies are available, for example, from Amesbury Group, Inc., of Sioux Falls, S.D., as the P1000 lock. Additionally, the central lock assembly may include multiple housings (as depicted). Such multiple housing locks are also available from Amesbury Group, as the P3000 lock. Other multi-point door lock assemblies are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0019643, entitled “Multi-Point Lock Having Sequentially-Activated Locking Elements,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. In general, however, the structure and operation of the central lock assembly is not necessarily critical to the function of the automatic remote lock assemblies described in more detail herein. Any type of central lock assembly that may be actuated by an operator and that can move drivebars from a first position to a second position may be utilized.

The remote lock assemblies described herein may be used with central lock assemblies that require one or more additional actions on the part of a user to secure the door. That is, once the bolt of a remote lock assembly is extended as described herein, a door still may not be secure, depending on the type of central lock assembly being utilized. The handles of certain lock assemblies may still be actuated the bolts are extended, thus unlocking the door. Central lock assemblies so configured typically require actuation of a locking mechanism (e.g., throwing a deadbolt or lifting a handle) to secure the door. The remote lock assemblies described herein, however, may also be used with central lock assemblies that do not require such additional action to secure the door. When used in conjunction with such central lock assemblies, the door is secure once the bolt of the remote lock assembly is extended.

As one example, FIG. 1B depicts a side view of a latch assembly 300′ that may be a part (along with a lock assembly) of a central lock assembly used in conjunction with the disclosed technology. As described above, a handle connected to the actuator 306 is operative to retract the latch 304 and move the drivebars 302 from a first position to a second position. More particularly, rotation of the actuator 306 rotates a lever 308 engaged with a first slide 310, which is connected to the lower 302 a of the two drivebars 302. Movement of the first slide 310 causes movement of a second slide 318. Specifically, a rack 312 on the first slide 310 rotates a gear 314 that engages with a corresponding rack 316 on a second slide 318. The second slide 318 is connected to the upper 302 b of the two drive bars 302. A spring element 320 biases the actuator 306 (and associated handle) to a neutral position. However, a lost motion connection between the actuator 306 and the lever 308 allows the lever to remain positioned such that the drivebars 302 remain in their second position. The spring element 320 continues to bias the lever 308, however, such that once a holding force on the drivebars 302 is released, (as described below with regard to operation of the trigger on the remote locks), the drivebars 302 will return to their first position.

FIGS. 2A and 2B depict a remote lock assembly 400 in a refracted position. FIG. 2C depicts the remote lock assembly 400 with an outer housing removed. The lock assembly 400 includes a housing 402. The housing 402 is fixed to the faceplate 102 (described above). A faceplate 404 of the remote lock assembly 400 may be discrete from or integral with the faceplate 102. The faceplates 102, 404 shield the housing 402 and drivebar 302 when the lock is installed in an edge of a door 406. The faceplate 404 defines a plane beyond which a trigger 408 projects when in an extended position. The trigger 408 is biased by one or more springs 408 a into the extended position of FIG. 2A. When in the extended position, the trigger 408 is positioned such that a pivoting latch 410 located within the housing 402 may engage with a hook element 412 located on a bolt 414. The bolt 414 is also connected to the drivebar 302 at a bolt extension 414 a, such that movement of the bolt 414 is largely effected by movement of the drivebar 302. In the depicted embodiment, the bolt extension 414 a extends from the housing 402, but in other embodiments, the drivebar 302 may extend into the housing 402 to connect to the bolt 414. When the drivebar 302 is in the second position depicted in FIG. 2A, the bolt 414 is in the retracted position. When the latch 410 and the hook element 412 are engaged, the drivebar 302 and bolt 414 remain in the depicted positions. In an alternative embodiment, the hook 412 may be located on or connected to a portion of the drivebar 302.

The bolt 414 is adapted to slide linearly within an interior chamber 416 of the housing 402. In addition to being guided within the chamber 416, movement of the bolt 414 may be further constrained by one or more fasteners 418 that may pass through the bolt 414, via one or more slots 420. The fasteners 418 may be used to secure the housing 402 to the door 406. The bolt 414 includes tapered leading edges 422 to penetrate a corresponding tapered door keeper (not shown), thus forcing the door 406 into a flat plane. Use of the tapered leading edges 422 also allows for penetration of at least some portion of the bolt 414 into an associated keeper, even if the door 406 is significantly warped. The leading edges 424 of the trigger 408 are also tapered, such that when it contacts an associated door jamb or strikeplate (not shown) it is forced inward into the housing 402. This movement is described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B. A spring 426 biases the bolt 414 into an extended position (depicted in FIGS. 3A and 3B). In the depicted embodiment, the spring 426 is disposed within a bore 428 defined by the bolt 414. Here, the spring 426 is disposed between the bolt 414 and one of the fasteners 418 a.

Other spring locations are contemplated. In certain embodiments, the biasing force may be provided by a spring acting upon the drivebar 302 in the central lock assembly. Many central lock housings include a spring member that returns one or more components of the lock mechanism (such as the actuator 306 described above) to a neutral position once the handle is turned and the latch retracted. The biasing force of this spring (e.g., spring element 320 in the above example of a latch assembly) is applied to the lock mechanism located in the central lock assembly and also returns the drivebar 302 to the position depicted in FIG. 3A. In this regard, a single spring located outside of the remote lock housing 402 may provide the biasing force necessary to extend the bolts 414 from the remote lock housing 402. The remote lock assembly 400 is depicted in an extended position in FIGS. 3A and 3B. The depth of penetration d of the bolt 414 (that is, how far the bolt 414 may extend into an associated keeper) is depicted. In certain embodiments, this depth d may be about one inch, which is a common depth of penetration for deadbolts and other locking or latching elements in door locks. As the door 406 is closed, the tapered leading surface 424 of the trigger 408 contacts the door jamb (or a strikeplate located thereon). As this contact applies a force F to the trigger 408, the trigger 408 is forced into the housing 402 (or simply past the plane defined by the faceplate 404). As the trigger 408 moves inward along a trigger axis A_(T), it contacts the pivoting latch 410. This causes pivoting movement of the latch 410, thereby disengaging the latch 410 from the hook 412 of the bolt 414. At this time, the biasing force acting on the bolt 414 by the spring 426 forces the bolt 414 into the extended position along a bolt axis A_(B), defined by the extended and retracted positions of the bolt 414. Since the bolt 414 and drivebar 302 are connected, this also moves the drivebar 302 into the depicted first position. The bolt 414 may be returned to the retracted position by moving the drivebar 302 to the second position from the outer lock assembly.

Other configurations of latch mechanisms are contemplated. The depicted embodiment includes a pivoting latch 410 that pivots when contacted by the trigger 408, due to rearward movement of the trigger 408. An alternative embodiment of a latch mechanism 500 is depicted in FIG. 4. As in the previous embodiment, a bolt 502 is slidably received in a housing 504. A spring 506 biases a trigger 508 forward in the housing 504 along a trigger axis A_(T), such that it projects beyond a front face 510 thereof. As with the embodiment described above, a hook element 512 extends from the bolt 502 (the drivebar is not shown in this figure). Rather than using a discrete pivoting element rotated by contact with the trigger 508, however, this latch mechanism 500 includes a latch element 514 integral with or otherwise fixed to the trigger 508. Thus, as the trigger 508 is forced into the housing 504, the latch element 514 disengages from the hook element 512, and the bolt 502 is biased back to the extended position, in this case, by a spring 516 disposed between the housing 504 and the bolt 502. The bolt 502 extends along a bolt axis A_(B) that is substantially orthogonal to the trigger axis A_(T).

FIG. 5 depicts a side view of a double door system 600. Here, a panel 602 is one of two. The opposite door is not depicted for clarity. The panel 602 includes a multi-point lock 604 including a central lock assembly 606 and two remote lock assemblies 608, 610. A single-housing central lock assembly 606 includes a latch 612 actuated by a handle H and a deadbolt 614 actuated by a thumbturn T. These elements may extend into the opposite door panel when that panel is in a closed position. A drivebar 618 extends from the central lock assembly 606 to an upper remote lock 608. The upper remote lock 608 includes a bolt 616 that may be released by a trigger 618 to extend into a tapered keeper 620 in a header 622 of the door system 600. Similarly, a drivebar 624 extends from the central lock assembly 606 to a lower remote lock 610. The lower remote lock 610 includes a bolt 626 that may be released by a trigger 628 to extend into a tapered keeper 630 in a sill 632 of the door system 600.

Other configurations of multi-point locks are contemplated. For example, only one of the two remote lock assemblies 608, 610 may include a trigger. In such an embodiment, contact of a door jamb with, for example, the trigger 618 of the upper remote lock assembly 608, would release both of the upper bolt 616 and the lower bolt 626. A bias force provided by a spring in either or both of the remote lock assembly 608 and the central lock assembly 606 may force both of the bolts 616, 626 into an extended position. Triggers on each remote lock assembly, however, may be more desirable, as this helps ensure that the bolts release when the associated trigger is in contact with the jamb or opposing door panel. In other embodiments, the remote lock assemblies may be used to provide a sufficient locking force in place of the deadbolt 614. This may be particularly desirable for interior doors, which typically include only a single handle or doorknob to operate a latch, but not a discrete thumbturn to operate a deadbolt.

The materials utilized in the manufacture of the lock may be those typically utilized for lock manufacture, e.g., zinc, steel, brass, stainless steel, etc. Material selection for most of the components may be based on the proposed use of the lock, robustness desired, etc. Appropriate materials may be selected for a lock used on interior or entry doors, or on doors that have particular security requirements, as well as on locks subject to certain environmental conditions (e.g., moisture, corrosive atmospheres, etc.). For particularly light-weight door panels (for example, cabinet door panels, lockers, or other types of panels), rigid molded plastic, such as PVC, polyethylene, etc., may be utilized for the various components. Nylon, acetal, Teflon®, or combinations thereof may be utilized for the trigger to further reduce friction, although other low-friction materials and/or component coatings are contemplated.

The multi-point lock assemblies described herein may be installed on one or both panels of a double-entry door to ensure alignment. The construction of the lock makes it very useful for applications where enhanced security (and not solely door straightening) is desired. Additionally, although remote lock assemblies having bolts that extend into the head and sill of a door are desirable, automatically extending bolts that extend into a side jamb of the door, or an opposing door in the case of double doors, are also contemplated.

While there have been described herein what are to be considered exemplary and preferred embodiments of the present technology, other modifications of the technology will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings herein. The particular methods of manufacture and geometries disclosed herein are exemplary in nature and are not to be considered limiting. It is therefore desired to be secured in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of the technology. Accordingly, what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is the technology as defined and differentiated in the following claims, and all equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A lock comprising: a central lock assembly comprising: a central lock assembly housing; a lock mechanism located within the central lock assembly housing; and a drivebar extending from the central lock assembly housing and actuated by the lock mechanism, wherein the lock mechanism is adapted to move the drivebar from a first position to a second position; and a first remote lock assembly comprising: a remote lock assembly housing; a bolt adapted for sliding linear movement within the remote lock assembly housing, wherein the drivebar is connected to the bolt, and wherein the movement of the drivebar from the first position to the second position slides the bolt from an extended position to a retracted position, wherein the bolt comprises a tapered leading surface adapted to engage with a keeper located on at least one of a door header and a door sill; a latch adapted to engage at least one of the drivebar and the bolt, when the drivebar is in the second position and the bolt is in the retracted position; and a trigger adapted to disengage the latch from at least one of the drivebar and the bolt, wherein the trigger is biased into a position extending out from the remote lock assembly housing.
 2. The lock of claim 1, wherein the bolt is biased into the extended position by a spring located in at least one of the central lock assembly housing and the remote lock assembly housing.
 3. The lock of claim 1, further comprising a faceplate connected to the central lock assembly housing and the remote lock assembly housing, wherein the faceplate is adapted to shield the drive bar when the lock is installed within a door.
 4. The lock of claim 1, wherein the latch is pivotably mounted within the remote lock assembly housing.
 5. The lock of claim 4, wherein the trigger is adapted to pivot the latch from an engaged position to a disengaged position when the trigger is forced into the remote lock assembly housing.
 6. The lock of claim 1, wherein the trigger comprises a tapered leading surface adapted to contact a doorjamb, wherein contact with the door jamb forces the trigger into the remote lock assembly housing.
 7. The lock of claim 1, further comprising: a second drivebar extending from the central lock assembly housing and actuated by the lock mechanism, wherein the lock mechanism is adapted to move the second drivebar from a first position to a second position; and a second remote lock assembly comprising: a remote lock assembly housing; a bolt adapted for sliding linear movement within the remote lock assembly housing, wherein the second drivebar is connected to the bolt, and wherein the movement of the second drivebar from the first position to the second position slides the bolt from an extended position to a retracted position; a latch adapted to engage at least one of the second drivebar and the bolt, when the second drivebar is in the second position and the bolt is in the retracted position; and a trigger adapted to disengage the latch from at least one of the second drivebar and the bolt, wherein the trigger is biased into a position extending out from the remote lock assembly housing.
 8. The lock of claim 7, wherein the first remote lock assembly is located proximate an upper portion of a door and wherein the second remote lock assembly is located proximate a lower portion of the door.
 9. A remote lock assembly comprising: a housing; a bolt adapted for sliding linear movement in a first direction within the housing, between an extended position and a retracted position; a latch disposed within the housing and adapted to releasably hold the bolt in the retracted position; a trigger adapted to disengage the latch from the bolt, wherein the trigger is biased into a position extending out from the housing in a second direction, wherein the first direction is orthogonal to the second direction; and a spring for biasing the bolt into the extended position.
 10. The remote lock assembly of claim 9, wherein the spring is disposed substantially within the bolt.
 11. The remote lock assembly of claim 10, wherein the spring is disposed between the bolt and at least one of (a) the housing and (b) a fastener adapted to secure the housing to a door.
 12. The remote lock assembly of claim 9, wherein the latch is pivotably engaged with the housing, and wherein the trigger disengages the latch from the bolt by pivoting the latch from a latched position to an unlatched position.
 13. The remote lock assembly of claim 9, wherein the latch is slidably engaged with the housing.
 14. The remote lock assembly of claim 9, wherein the trigger is adapted to move along an axis substantially orthogonal to a bolt axis defined by the extended position and the retracted position.
 15. The remote lock assembly of claim 9, further comprising a drivebar connected to the bolt, and wherein a movement of the drivebar from a first position to a second position slides the bolt from the extended position to the retracted position.
 16. The remote lock assembly of claim 15, wherein the spring applies a biasing force to at least one of the bolt and the drivebar.
 17. The remote lock assembly of claim 15, wherein the drivebar is adapted to be actuated from a location disposed remote from the housing.
 18. The remote lock assembly of claim 15, further comprising a faceplate secured to the housing, wherein the drivebar is adapted to slide behind the faceplate.
 19. The remote lock assembly of claim 18, wherein the faceplate is adapted to connect the housing to a central lock assembly disposed remote from the housing. 